Wolsey vs Cromwell – impacts
Wolsey and Cromwell had great admiration for one another, in a letter Wolsey sent to Cromwell, he addressed him as;
“my own entirely beloved Cromwell: I beseech you, as you love me and will ever do anything for me”
Wolsey Cromwell
Overview Overview
Henry wrote letters to Wolsey in his own hand rather than Cromwell had a number of basic objectives. He wanted to
simply dictating them to a secretary – such tokens of ensure that the royal writ ran fully and uniformly
Henry’s esteem were a clear signal that Wolsey had throughout the realm in both Wolsey and religious
become the chief minister and was not to be trifled with. administration; he wished to strengthen the governmental
Foreign ambassadors called him an ‘alter rex’ or ‘second machinery both at the centre and in the regions in order
king’. It was accepted at the time that bishops were to make the King's authority more
usually wealthy and worldly, but Wolsey came across effective; and he was determined to keep the whole
unusually proud and ostentatious. However, with such an process under his personal direction. The first of these
impressive array of titles and positions, it was not difficult aims involved the suppression of privileges in England
for Wolsey to elbow aside the King’s noble advisers on the which hampered or prevented the exercise of full royal
Royal Council and to become alter rex. authority and also efforts to bring Wales, Calais and at
least part of Ireland under firm control within a
Wolsey had maintained his power and position because uniform administrative system. It also involved the
he served Henry well. When he ceased to do so, he fell translation of the theoretical royal supremacy which has
from power. His two great failures were the collapse of his been established over the Church into practical reality
anti-Habsburg strategy in Europe, forced on him by the through the subordination of episcopal administration to
success of Charles V in Italy after 1525, and his inability to the new office of vicegerent, a post he held himself.
obtain the divorce. Neither of these objectives could be
achieved at the same time, but it was Wolsey who paid Most of Cromwell’s formidable energies during the 1530s
the price for failure. After Henry had gained his divorce with channelled into domestic affairs but he could not
and the political reformation had occurred in the 1530s, it escape involvement in foreign policy, a field in which
was natural for contemporaries and later historians to Henry himself took a continuous and often detailed
relegate Wolsey to the position of over-powering minister interest. English power was a significant, the limited factor
who acted despotically until he was ousted from power. in this gigantic struggle. Henry the eighth never had the
men or the money to complete on equal terms with either
of his great continental neighbours England was a second-
class power in terms of resources - but he could play an
In order to get close with the king, he took advantage of important role by threatening to put his support behind
his role as Royal Almoner – which also provided him with either Charles or Francis. Each, therefore, wanted English
the opportunities to show off his “potential, talent, and support or at the very least benevolent neutrality in their
education” (George Cavendish). Along with this, he also contest.
had;
- Luck - had Henry VII lived longer, Wolsey may
He sees England emerging as a nation based "not merely
never have gained so much influence.
upon administration and judicial reform, but upon a
- His personality impressed the young Henry. He
triangular relationship between Church, State, and
would show Henry things that he knew would
Society." – Dickens
appeal to Henry. Knew how to exploit Henry in
this way.
- Understood the young King’s aims: Henry’s Humble beginnings
desire for a peaceful stable kingdom, control His birthplace was in a small village, and records suggest
over the church and clergy, and his desire to he was the youngest of 3 children, and the only boy. His
make a name for himself on the European father was a supposed blacksmith or brewer. He was
stage. supposedly a rebellious child.
Wolsey’s enemies came to see him as vindictive and 1532 – 1540 Thomas Cromwell is chief minister to King
arrogant. On the one hand, he flattered and apparently Henry
manipulated Henry, offering him lavish gifts and tokens
while working him around to his new ideas. At the same 1523 – Cromwell’s rise to power
time, he used his legal powers as Lord chancellor and a - Cromwell becomes a member of parliament
network of informants to intimidate anyone he saw as a
rival.
1524 - Cromwell’s rise to power
- Cromwell joins the household of Wolsey
Humble beginnings
Wolsey was very intelligent; gaining his degree at only 15
1530 - Cromwell’s rise to power
years old. He became Oxford’s notorious treasurer –
- Cromwell becomes a member of the King’s
undoubtably making him stand out to the King. He used
, this powerful status to do exactly this; showing the council
relentless ambition of Wolsey from the start. He was the
son of a baker – having similar ‘humble beginnings’ as G. R. Elton sees the period of 1530 to 1532 as years of
Cromwell. “bluster and bombast, bankrupt in ideas, without a
policy”
1513 – 1529 Thomas Wolsey Lord Chancellor to King
Henry 1532 – The start of the royal’s control over papacy
- Cromwell pushes through Parliament the Act in
1509 restraint of Annates which limits funds paid to
- Wolsey’s ‘big break’ was the organisation of an the Papacy.
army for the war with France. His talent and - ‘Supplication Against the Ordinaries’ was
ability of finding a sufficient army impressed published. It was the result of grievances against
Henry and was one of the main reasons for him Church of England prelates and the clergy. Elton
becoming Lord chancellor in 1513. believes Cromwell had strong influence upon
this. This led to a royal demand to the
convocation that no new laws were to be made
Between 1513 and 1516, the subsidy (an additional tax
without royal assent, previous laws needed to
based upon an assessment about an individual’s income)
be viewed and if the king himself did not
raised £170,000 which was an impressive change from
approve, then they were to be disregarded. This
Wolsey to the previous tax system which only raised
stands as the first success in gaining the
Henry around £90,000 per annum. Despite this making
obedience of the clergy.
Wolsey unpopular amongst his subjects, he would’ve not
- This is followed shortly by the Act of Annates
only pleased the new King by providing him with money to
(Cromwell was the motivating force behind this
finance his foreign policy ambitions - but also would have
act and its drafting) which halted payments to
undoubtably created a good impression for Wolsey from
Rome. This meant that all cases of testament,
the beginning.
matrimony and divorce would be adjudged
within the realm.
1515
- The Pope makes Wolsey a cardinal
1533 – The importance of Cromwell made clear with the
- Act of Resumption – return Crown lands.
long-awaited annulment of Henry and Catherine’s
marriage.
1516 - Cromwell pushes through Parliament the Act in
- Promoted civil law rather than common law. Restraint of Appeals which declares that the
- Strengthen Star Chamber; 120 common cases English monarch is now the highest authority on
heard all legal matters.
- use Court of Requests to hear cases from poor - Act of Submission of the Clergy provided that
people which was very popular convocation was not to meet without the
permission of the king
1517 - He successfully annuls Henry and Catherine’s
- Enclosures was the practice of individual marriage
landowners fencing off land for private use - Controversy started to arise surrounding
where previously was available for common use. Cromwell’s policies, after the arrest of Elisabeth
In 1517, Wolsey set up an inquiry to investigate Barton, the Nun of Kent. Her ideas became quite
where land had been enclosed without proper popular for her prophecies and attacks upon
permission, leading to over 260 court cases Henry’s marriage to Anne. This led to her
being brought against landowners. These execution in 1534 as well as the execution of 5
actions increased his unpopularity amongst of her followers.
wealthy landowners of England and many
collaborated to force Wolsey to stop any further 1534 – ‘Cromwell’s vision’ and his two ‘great acts’
investigations. Enclosures achieved little to The two ‘great acts’ that Cromwell is notoriously regarded
nothing. for is the Act of Supremacy and the Treason Act – both in
1534.
1518 - Cromwell pushes through parliament the
- In 1518, Wolsey found an ingenious way to put Treason Act which forbids people to speak out
Henry's name on the lips of every ruler in and criticise their King or his policies. This stands
Christendom. He first persuaded Henry to sell as Cromwell’s ‘most brilliant manoeuvre’ in
Tournai back to Francis and make a new Anglo- securing both the oath of Succession, and
French alliance. Then, when Pope Leo unveiled a eradicating opposition/resistance. Arthur D.
plan for a general European truce and a crusade Innes labelled him the "terrible minister” based
against the Ottoman Turks, he hijacked the on the Treason Act of 1534 which he called,
diplomacy, turning it into a dazzling Treaty of "the most terrific instrument of tyranny ever
Universal Peace, making London the hub of pan- forged for an English monarch by a perfectly
